A fundraiser for the EVE Online player killed during the attack on the American consulate in Libya has more than doubled its original goal.

Sean "Vilerat" Smith was a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. State Department and also a long-standing and highly regarded member of the EVE Online community who, in the words of Goonswarm leader The Mittani, "had influence over the grand game and the affairs of Nullsec [that] cannot be overstated." He was tragically killed on September 11, along with U.S. Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens and security personnel Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods, in a riot at the consulate sparked by the low-budget film Innocence of Muslims.

Shortly after his death, a member of the Something Awful community launched a fundraiser to help Smith's family cope with his loss and also to establish a college fund for his two children. And then something awesome happened: In less than 12 hours, donations totaled more than half of the fundraiser's original goal of $50,000, leading organizers to double it. And now that goal has been hit, and so it's been raised again, to $150,000.

"I do not know how to express my gratitude on behalf of my children," Smith's wife Heather wrote in response to the outpouring of support. "I am so very touched at the love and support you all have shown us and I will read each and every post made in honor of Sean. Peace and love to all of you. Hold your family close and remember what is important."

The "Benefit for Sean Smith's Family" runs until December 1. All funds raised go directly to Smith's wife; donations may be made at YouCaring.com.

And to think, none of this amazing worldwide support for his family would have existed if it weren't for his deep connection to EVE. Let's see the 'videogames are bad' lobbyists make a song and dance about that.

Gotta love the goons, they look out for their own. I looked through the thread telling people of his passing, he touched so many peoples lives, it's heartwarming to know that his kids will be able to take any path they want with their education.

If you have something to say then say it, commit to being an asshole or don't post, because what you are saying now sounds like you are mocking the wife for her husband dying.

Isn't it obvious what I'm saying? If the goal of charity is to improve human well-being, then these resources could be spent so much more efficiently.

This is not a matter of helping humanity as a whole with charity. It is a matter of helping the family of their friend, fellow-player and shaper of their world.

Fine, whatever. Of course these people are free to do with their money as they please and it's nice that they chose to help the family of a person that they were familiar with. It's certainly better than just using the money for luxury for themselves.

Personally if I were to give money away to charity though, I'd try to make sure that it is used efficiently for the betterment of the human condition.

I guess the motives of the people giving the money away puzzle me, don't see how they gain anything other than a good feeling, it's not like their going to get something back like solidifying group or familial bonds or friendship.

dochmbi:Yeah why not, let's give a 100k to this family. After all the same money couldn't buy education and healthcare for ten times as many equally needy people in a poor country...

This isnt about helping the little people of the world, this is about helping the family of a friend whos life was cut tragically short.

Primitive tribalism, that's what it is.

I can't deny them their right to spend their money as they please without shooting myself in the foot and I'm not really any better than they, as I have also donated to some causes which I believe in even when that money could have been better spent.

dochmbi:Yeah why not, let's give a 100k to this family. After all the same money couldn't buy education and healthcare for ten times as many equally needy people in a poor country...

If you have something to say then say it, commit to being an asshole or don't post, because what you are saying now sounds like you are mocking the wife for her husband dying.

Isn't it obvious what I'm saying? If the goal of charity is to improve human well-being, then these resources could be spent so much more efficiently.

Between the cost for the funeral, college, day to day life and the loss of a large portion of the families income, I'd say a the money is more then needed and deserved for them. Remember, they were only planning on get 50,000 dollars, which would have probably been just enough to put both girls through a State university. The community decided to be generous and gave more then they needed to, I don't see any reason why you need to be so passive aggressive about it.

Please don't rain on this family's parade, this is probably the only good thing to have happen to them in the last 15 days.

B)to potentially gain some benefit in return (friendship, group bonds or something more tangible)

C)to do something morally good (which for me means to improve the human condition as I believe any persons well-being is equally valuable)

Giving to another more useful charity you'd get a lot more of C, probably less A depending how tribalistic you are and no B at all.

So each person has to evaluate these factors for themselves and decide what matters to them.

Why aren't you out there working at a soup kitchen or building homes for the homeless instead of waxing poetic about the philosophical implications of this charity? Oh right, sitting on the internet and bitching about charitable acts is far easier than actually performing charitable acts.

How much have you given this year? What have you done to better humanity? What? Jack you say? You're too busy playing WoW you say? I'm not surprised.

It scares me to think what you believe is "morally good" if you don't see this as such. Or you are just one of those first-year philosophy majors that just likes talking out their ass and actually has no beliefs or values, but pretends they do by undermining what everyone else does.

I'm glad this is reaching more than they aimed for. EVE is a community of only around 400,000 (and less than that English-speaking) and to raise this much means a lot (though, Goonswarm's ties to Something Awful also bring in more people).

He's still gone, EVE will still miss him, but at least we can do something for his family. Given that this is the community of the "harsh, dark and cold" internet spaceship game where everyone is a jerk, it warms me a little. We're not so bad, maybe.

dochmbi:Yeah why not, let's give a 100k to this family. After all the same money couldn't buy education and healthcare for ten times as many equally needy people in a poor country...

This isnt about helping the little people of the world, this is about helping the family of a friend whos life was cut tragically short.

Primitive tribalism, that's what it is.

I can't deny them their right to spend their money as they please without shooting myself in the foot and I'm not really any better than they, as I have also donated to some causes which I believe in even when that money could have been better spent.

I guess this is just an example of how broken humanity is.

No, you've already shot yourself in the foot multiple times.Why do you, or rather people like you, feel it necessary to be a douchebag when things like this happen? An important, well known, loved/notorious member of a community dies, and the members of said community show their condolences by donating money to his wife and kids to make their lives a bit easier, and you feel it necessary to piss on his funeral and the goodwill of his community?That's fucked up.

B)to potentially gain some benefit in return (friendship, group bonds or something more tangible)

C)to do something morally good (which for me means to improve the human condition as I believe any persons well-being is equally valuable)

Giving to another more useful charity you'd get a lot more of C, probably less A depending how tribalistic you are and no B at all.

So each person has to evaluate these factors for themselves and decide what matters to them.

Why aren't you out there working at a soup kitchen or building homes for the homeless instead of waxing poetic about the philosophical implications of this charity? Oh right, sitting on the internet and bitching about charitable acts is far easier than actually performing charitable acts.

How much have you given this year? What have you done to better humanity? What? Jack you say? You're too busy playing WoW you say? I'm not surprised.

It scares me to think what you believe is "morally good" if you don't see this as such. Or you are just one of those first-year philosophy majors that just likes talking out their ass and actually has no beliefs or values, but pretends they do by undermining what everyone else does.

You are right, I actually have no life I live with my mom and have no job nor education and spend all my days reading and watching videos and trolling forums :) And no I have never done anything for the betterment of humanity and I'm generally a very selfish person and don't spend money on charity at all.

Than again what I do is completely irrelevant to the argument as ideas are independent of the person presenting them and even if I was a mass murderer and torturer the ideas stand or fall on their own merits.

I do see this charity as morally good, it's just that since people are giving money away, they might as well maximize the utility of it.

When I saw the OP I thought, "ah, how touching, we can never argue about this, a lovely gesture". It seems I underestimated the Escapist's amazing ability to find breathern with really, really odd opinions on matters.

I must say your opinion this Dochmbi is more confusing to me that that of the people who were saving their pets over humans; and I really struggled with that.

dochmbi:Yeah why not, let's give a 100k to this family. After all the same money couldn't buy education and healthcare for ten times as many equally needy people in a poor country...

This isnt about helping the little people of the world, this is about helping the family of a friend whos life was cut tragically short.

Primitive tribalism, that's what it is.

I can't deny them their right to spend their money as they please without shooting myself in the foot and I'm not really any better than they, as I have also donated to some causes which I believe in even when that money could have been better spent.

I guess this is just an example of how broken humanity is.

Its not broken. They know the guy, they've raised money to help the family if the person they know. We're social animals, we like helping those that we know. We do not see a need to help people we do not know. Basic knowledge of how humans work would have told you that.

Right now you're just being a dick. Your argument can be used for anything. "Oh, you're getting in shape? Why not do that for charity?" "Oh, you're doing work experience? Why not help out at a refuge center for the homeless".

I'm not even bothered by the disrespect that you're showing, you're trying to argue a viewpoint which is fundamentally wrong using an ineffective argument.